A full day of filming was dedicated to just little ol’ me! At first, I wondered how in the world, it would take so long to film a 15 minute recipe, but the day quickly flew by.

Filming in front of this giant crew and eight (yes eight) cameras pointing at me, was such a fun/stressful/scary/amazing/exciting/awkward experience… and I absolutely loved it. Someone give me a cooking show please. I want to do this all the time!

That’s not to say it was easy, because it certainly wasn’t.

The director and Chef Michael Smith would give me a 627 instructions (or something like that): look here, say this, don’t say that, don’t talk about what you’re doing, but talk about something, don’t say that you are chopping an onion, tell me why you’re chopping an onion… “errr… so that it’s chopped?”

It went on like that. Then they follow up all of these instructions by saying “act natural”. See how natural I am ↓↓↓ haha! 😁

I would be chopping up an extremely underripe mango (apparently the camera can’t tell) and then suddenly someone would run in to do a close-up of my mango chopping skills (which are hugely lacking p.s.).

Meanwhile, I’m inching away from the camera afraid of injuring the expensive technology with Michael’s large chef knife and the camera man keeps chasing me getting closer and closer to my awkward chopping.

Regardless of my chopping skills, and lack of knowing what to say, I seemed to work my way through filming, and I was even able to break the entire crew at one point and make them all burst into laughter when they weren’t supposed to. FINALLY!!

Hardest part for sure was that there was a roomful of people that I was having a completely one-sided conversation with. I literally couldn’t tell if anyone was remotely interested in what I was yabbering on about, because they couldn’t respond.

At least I know that everyone enjoyed the food. After every cut, the crew would swarm my tacos and quickly devour them all. Wooing the world one delicious vegan meal at a time. Muhahaha!

I can’t reveal all the secrets, because there were some fun (and slightly evil) surprises they had in store for us, but I just can’t wait to see/ I am terrified to see the final videos!

Isn’t that a lovely looking crew?? It’s so much fancier than the crew I am used to (me, myself, and I).

To celebrate the end of the festivities, Chef Michael Smith taught me how to use a knife to cut the top off of a champagne bottle.

A big thank you to Ethan from Food Bloggers of Canada for taking all of these photos (and driving my hungover self around P.E.I. the day after the shoot).. what… champagne… And to Rachel from Canadian Lentils for filming this video (and just generally being awesome).

I wanted to share a recipe in celebration of this super fun event, and since I already posted the Lentil Tacos with Avocado Cilantro Sauce, I decided to make a brand spanking new lentil recipe, cause can you ever have too many lentils? The answer is no.

So here we go my friends. All you need is 15 minutes, a few go-to ingredients, and boom, flavour-packed Sweet Korean Lentils are on the table. These lentils are sweet and mildly spiced, a serious nod to Korean BBQ.

These Sweet Korean Lentils reminds me of when I lived in LA, and my roommate Ashely and I would frequent this little Korean restaurant. They always served this sweet and tangy beef. Now obvi I wasn’t going to make that, but this is why I love lentils, anywhere a recipe calls for ground beef, you can pretty much sub lentils. A much healthier and friendlier option, and oh so delicious.

Side note: Are you supposed to use signed wooden spoons, or are you supposed to display them? I decided the spoon would have a lot more love and appreciation if it was used in my daily life, so I am going to cook with it. My mom sometimes wishes I was more sentimental… oops.

Now add your lentils and sauciness to the pan.

Cover and simmer for around 10 minutes until the lentils are cooked and tender, and most of the sauce is absorbed.

Serve over rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. I also used this as a lettuce wrap filling and my oh my it was scrumptious.

A big final thank you to Canadian Lentils and Chef Michael Smith for having me. ❤️

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, then add the onion and sauté for a few minutes until the onion softens and begins to brown. Now add the lentils and the sauce. Cover and bring to a gentle simmer until the lentils are cooked and tender, and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Serve by spooning over rice, and garnishing with the green onions and sesame seeds.

I just have to say that I’ve made this twice, and it’s such a keeper. I’ve reduced the sugar slightly, but that’s just me. Other spice levels are all great; this time I added a splash of rice vinegar just for a little zing.

We had this for dinner with short-grained rice, wakame salad and homemade kimchi — AMAZING!

Made this today. Delicious. Although the 8-10 minute cook time?? It took a full 30 minutes for it to cook through and for the lentils to soften. Typo or did you use an Insta or some kind of quick cooking lentils?

These were really tasty- made them to serve with some bibimbap and they added great flavor and extra protein to the dish in place of meat and egg (although I sent a pic to my brother who just moved to Korea and he said it was NOT bibimbap. Whatever lol.). My 5 year old and “vegan at home” husband liked them too. I have to admit I was skeptical at first- I always am when trying a new persons recipe, but now I’ll definitely have more confidence to try other recipes from you! My lentils were mushy but afterwards I read your advice in the comments about making sure the temp is low, so I’ll try that next time. Thanks!

Its the second recipe I made from your website the first one being the vegan cream of mushroom soup. I have already made twice the mushroom soup and I will do the sweet Korean lentils again. The only change I made to this recipe is to replace the red pepper flakes with sriracha. These two recipes are amazing and you had me convince to buy your book. I love the sweet Korean lentils recipe because I’m new at being vegan and I don’t have a lot good recipes for lentils. I struggle a little bit to try to eat more lentils instead of tofu and chickpeas and this recipe will help me to eat more diversify. Thank you for the recipe

This recipe is absolutely amazing!!!! I made it on the weekend and have been eating the leftovers all week long. I used green lentils though instead of red lentils because I thought that red lentils would make the dish too mushy. As such, the amount of water you called for in the recipe wasn’t enough, as my lentils were on the crunchy side. How much water would you recommend if using green lentils? And, do the red lentils in your recipe get mushy?

Glad you enjoyed the recipe! The red lentils do not get mushy as long as you very gently simmer them (and don’t boil them). The water content for green lentils should be about the same amount but they will take about twice as long to cook at a gentle simmer. Enjoy!

I’ve been looking at this recipe for over a year now! I finally made it tonight as I was looking for something flavourful, easy to make and everything was already in my pantry and fridge. I must say these lentils pack a huge punch of flavour. My mouth is very happy right now. Just the right amount of heat and yummy flavour. Now that I know how good this is it will become a favourite in my household. Thank you!

Perfect weekday meal, comes together quickly and uses ingredients I always have around the house. This is the type of meal you need to show people when they say eating vegan is expensive, this is a great cheap meal. Paired it with some Ontario asparagus. Delish!

Dude, SO GOOD! I have often made the ground beef counterpart to this recipe, which we all love, and I think I actually prefer this one.

I have been trying to eat meat-free for a while now for personal reasons, though the rest of my family (husband and four kiddos) still eats meat. Sometimes I make something a bit different for me, but of course I’d rather just make one meal for all of us.

I have enjoyed using lentils for a lot of things and wanted to find another recipe specifically for red lentils. This was the first one I picked; we had it last night and it was a huge hit. Will definitely be making it again! Served it on top of rice with broccoli.

I’ve been cooking only vegan dishes for ny husband for almost 4 years now (he’s not vegan). As evidence of how much he liked this, he ate leftovers for lunch the next day, which is a first! Thanks for a great eat rest recipe!

Just want to let you know that your lentils are being enjoyed all over the world! My mother-in-law in Panama sent me this recipe a few months ago and said it was delicious and easy (my favorite). I’ve made it in probably 5 or 6 huge batches since then. I passed the recipe on to my friends and they love it too! I took some to a birthday party recently and it got favorable reviews despite being the lone vegan dish in a sea of pulled pork and potato salad. The hostess even asked to keep some! We have eaten it with rice and quinoa, as a stew, and over steamed broccoli. Yum!

When I first read this recipe I was skeptical, I frequently find lentil recipes to be overwhelmingly “lentil-y”. But this was a slam dunk! Every one in the house loved it! We served it with roasted zucchini and corn which complimented it really well. Definitely going to be a new staple at our house!

Hi Sam! My daughter and I tried this recipe tonite during I must say it was absolutely yummy!!! Thank you for for sharing your recipes. This one will become a regular for our family and we will be trying many more. Monise

Glad you enjoyed! Soy sauces can range hugely in colour, I believe I might have used tamari that day (gluten-free soy sauce), which is extra dark, so I am guessing that’s why yours is a different colour.

So much to like here! But, especially, the ease! Turns out the specific taste wasn’t especially for me (though hubby loved it!) but now I know how easy it is to cook red lentils, and I plan to use this recipe as a jumping off point. Meanwhile, I would like to recommend to use the lower amount of sugar (or less) and to share what I learned: that “red lentils” are different from “red split lentils.” Thanks for publishing!

Hi! This looks delicious! I’ve only made Lentils one other time, so I’m very new to cooking with them. Do I have to use red lentils? Or will green or brown work? I don’t know what the difference is. Thank you.

Hi Tiera, red lentils are much faster to cook, they take about 10 minutes, make sure to keep them at a low simmer so they don’t get mushy. Green or brown lentils can be substituted but they take about twice as long to cook, about 20 minutes, they also have a slightly different texture. ENjoy!

OMG!!! Delicious!! This is my favorite lentil recipe ever! I changed things just a bit and sautéed the green onion, garlic, and ginger in oil (a mix of sesame and olive) then added the sauce (soy, sugar, water, and a little rice vinegar), brought the liquid to boiling and then added lentils. Serve with Kim chi!!!

Hi – I am new to cooking and do not have any of the light oils you list. I have only olive and grapeseed. Would either of those work? No problem if not. I can always buy another oil today but wanted to check before I do as I have not had to use any other oils yet. If I buy, which of three (if any) do you use the most in your recipes? I can always get that one.

OH NO….my bad. ..the whole time I was eating this I was thinking it needs garlic. I hand wrote this recipe and didn’t put the garlic in. I will try it again…with the garlic. Will still omit the sesame oil though. If you love lentils this is a must try.

The lentils flavor and texture were very favourable. , I love lentils but for my taste the next time I prepare this I will cut the crushed red pepper and brown sugar in half.. I will also cut out the sesame oil (I don’t care for the taste.) The next time I make this (tailored to my taste) I’m sure I’m gonna love it. Thank you for sharing.

Hi Sam! I made these for our monthly vegan potluck. I doubled the recipe hoping to bring home some leftovers. Ha- not a bit left : ) These are so easy & delish! I am making them again tonight with cauliflower “rice” Thanks!

Hey Sam, I have a question about the serving size. Thank you for providing nutrition information. It’s helpful because I’m counting calories! I see that it’s four servings, but do you know about how much a serving would be? I’m trying to branch out and make more meals, but have a hard time when it isn’t a precise number of things I can count or whatever. I could probably eyeball it, but the OCD part of me won’t allow that. Hoping to make this tonight!

Um…forgive me for the question. I will just make it, then scoop out with measuring cups until I’ve measured all of it, and divide by four to get my serving size. Sorry, it has been a long week. And I think the heat is getting to me.

The flavor on this recipe is fantastic, but my lentils were pretty hard even after absorbing all the liquid. Is it because I used a different kind of lentil other than red? Or any other ideas of where I might have gone wrong? New to the veg lifestyle, so I’m learning as I go.

Red lentils take about 10 mins to cook, but green or brown lentils take upwards of 20 mins. So yes, if you used a different kind of lentil, that would be the problem! Next time just keep it at a low simmer and cook longer according to the type of lentil. Enjoy!

I’m a little late to this post, but I just made these lentils for the first time and absolutely LOVED them! I had all the ingredients on hand and it couldn’t have been easier. I added some cubed tofu and skipped the rice to reduce carbs… I ate three servings, so I probably “undid” whatever skipping the rice “did”.

Haha, yeah that can happen with red lentils as they cook so quickly. Make sure to keep them at a simmer and not boiling. Yes, they would work well in a stir fry, just prepare them separately from the veggies and layer them on the rice. Yum!

I’ve done this recipe for stir fry and just mixed 1 tbsp of cornstarch with the same amount of water as soy sauce and it was delicious! The 2 cups of water is to cook the lentils so if you’re using just the sauce then you’ll want equal parts water and soy sauce but this sauce doesn’t thicken on its own so you need the cornstarch so it coats your veggies nicely and isn’t just water sitting at the bottom of the bowl! Hope this helps 🙂

This recipe was so good, quick and easy. I didn’t deviate from the recipe at all except when time to garnish. In addition to the sesame seeds and green onions, you MUST add a squirt of siracha and lots of chopped cilantro. OMG, yum! But this is a delicious recipe. I love lentils anyway and korean cuisine so this was a great switch-up from my normal prep.

I’ve literally never commented online but had to say this recipe is so delicious and easy. I made a batch and froze individual portions to take out and heat up whenever I want. I’ve made it several times and always have some in my freezer. Thanks for the recipe!

Love this recipe! It is especially helpful during the weeks that I crave take-out but my bank account is in the cents!lol…My only problem is that I’ve only had green lentils, both times I’ve prepared it, and it took about 40 minutes for the darn liquid to absorb, but it was worth the wait. This recipe also helps me meal prep for work for about 3 days out of my work week(minus the day it was originally cooked–I devour that serving immediately, of course). Thanks!

I can’t stop OMGing! Definitely my new favourite recipe, and my first using red lentils (newly vegan). Am in love with this. I served with baked cauliflower rice and steamed broccoli, so filling and scrumptious can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow! Can I just mention for anyone else in Australia, our tablespoon measurement is larger than US/Can so only 2 tbsps brown sugar needed here (I nearly forgot). Thank you so much Sam 🙂

These were amazing! I added some veggies to the rice – broccoli & cauliflower blend. Tasted like a stir fry! Only better! Thank you thank you thank you for this (and all) your fantastic recipes! Keep up the good work! I’ll be first in line to buy your cookbook 🙂

I’d love to make this tonight. Got all the ingredients! I also have a bunch of zucchinis sitting in my fridge that really need to get used up. Any suggestions what I might do with them to perhaps compliment and have as a side with the lentils? I’m scouring the internet but have yet to come up with something that’s light, simple and I have ingredients for. Could I throw the zucchinis in with the lentils????

The zucchinis might get soggy if cooked them with the lentils. I recommend sautéing them with the onions, removing the onions and zucchini from the pan, and cooking the lentils following the remaining directions. Then you can stir the onions and zucchinis back in when the lentils are cooked. Otherwise you could spiralize the zucchini and top the zucchini noodles with the lentils, or just sauté the zucchini and serve it beside. Hope that helps!

Made this recipe a week ago, and can’t WAIT to make it again for dinner this evening (rice is already on the stove top). My 12 year old daughter gobbled it up with me last week and absolutely loved it. SO happy to have come across your page and can’t wait to try out more recipes – thank you!

Does your nutritional information include a serving of rice? When I entered the recipe in the calorie/nutrition tracker I use it only came up with 3.4 grams of fiber and 12.6 grams of protein. I am trying to figure out where the differences might be?

It looks and sounds delicious. I plan on making it this weekend. Thanks for sharing and I look forward to looking through your site when I have more time. I have bookmarked it. 🙂

No, the nutrition doesn’t include the rice (you can see that just above the calories). The nutrition information is for one serving, the dish makes four servings. Hopefully that helps? So happy you are excited about this recipe Kris, I hope you love it!

Mmm, Mmm, Mmm!! The hits just keeping on coming on your site, Sam. This was such a knockout recipe and sooo easy to make – and so few ingredients! The only thing I ever used lentils for was in soups. With your great recipes – now I buy them in bulk! Thanks for great recipes and great ideas!!! 5 star rating….

I think you are a genius. I’m Korean but I’ve never thought of cooking lentils a la bulgogi. And it turned out delicious, just what I need when I crave Korean flavors but not the meat. Thanks for sharing your ingenious recipes!

The sauce adds a rich brown colour to the lentils, but they are indeed red lentils! The lentils only take 8 to 10 minutes to cook, which is why I love red lentils. Cook them longer and they will start to get too mushy.

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I'm Sam, welcome to my blog! Here you'll find my favourite fuss-free vegan recipes. You might be surprised to hear that the moment I decided I was going to go vegan, I was completely and utterly bummed about it. Here's my story →

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